Safety-stirrup.



L. SPEIDEL & A. A. MULLER.

SAFETY STIRRUP. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1909;

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

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LOUIS SPEIDEL AND AUGUST A, MULLER, 015 OI-IATON, ALBERTA, CANADA.

SAFETY-STIRRUP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS SPEIDEL and AUGUST A. MULLER, subjects of the King'of Great Britain, residing at Ohaton, in the Province of Alberta and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Stirrups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety stirrups, and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a stirrup in which the foot of the rider will be automatically thrown out of the stirrup in case the horse should fall or in case the rider desires to dismount from a bolting horse.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stirrup with a pivoted foot piece thrown upward by means of a spring and a series of rollers to carry the foot out of the stirrup when the horse stumbles or falls.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whicl1,--

Figure l is a side elevation of a stirrup made in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the base member of the stirrup, the front end of which is slightly curved upwardly, as at 2. The rear end of the base 1 is enlarged, as at 3. Secured to the opposite sides of the base member 1 are the supporting bars each comprising a substantially U- shaped member having a front leg 4, a rear leg 5 and an upwardly extending supporting lug 6 provided with an aperture 7 through which a cross bar 8 extends.

Connected to the enlargement 3 of the base 1 is a foot piece 9 attached by the hinge 10 to the enlargement 3. The foot piece 9 is provided with a toe cap 11 which serves to prevent the foot of the rider being pushed through the stirrup. Secured to the front side of the foot piece 9 is a guard 12 which serves to prevent twigs, bushes or other foreign matter from entering between the base 1 and the foot piece 9.

A spring bail 13 is connected to the base 1 by means of the terminal ends 14. The spring bail l3 normally bears upward against the foot piece 9.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 5, 1909.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910. Serial No. 494,037.

Journaled at its opposite ends in keepers 15 is a horizontal roller 16 upon which the sole of the riders boot or shoe is adapted to rest.

The rear legs 5 of the side supporting members are cut away to accommodate vertical rollers 17, said rollers being ournaled in suitable keepers 18. The purpose of these rollers is to prevent the side portions of the boot or shoe from catching in the stirrup.

The operation of the invention may be briefly described as follows: The rider having the ball portion of his foot placed upon the foot piece 9 will depress the said foot piece against the tension of the spring 13, but should the horse fall, the slight upward movement of the feet would permit the spring 13 to throw the foot backward upon the rollers 16 and 17 thus carrying the foot of the rider out of the stirrup.

The invention is simple in construction, can be manufactured at slight cost and has been found very reliable and efficient for its purpose.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

The herein described safety stirrup comprising a base having an upwardly curved front end, supporting members comprising front and rear legs connected to the base at the front and rear thereof, said supporting members being connected at their upper ends by a cross bar, a foot piece hinged at the rear of the base, a cap connected to the foot piece and extending around the front ends of the piece, a spring secured to the base and bearing upon the underside of the foot piece to throw said foot piece upward, a guard connected to the foot piece and extending over the front end of thebase, a roller journaled in the base at the rear of the stirrup, and rollers journaled vertically to the rear legs of the supporting members.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS SPEIDEL. AUGUST A. MULLER.

WVitnesses:

D. A. HART, B. M. RECORD. 

